Blueberries slash risk of certain chronic conditions

Greetings,
Here is just another example of why natural is almost always better...



Blueberries slash risk of certain chronic conditions.

09/27/2010


Eating blueberries regularly may help patients control diabetes and stave off high blood pressure, according to a pair of studies recently published in the Journal of Nutrition.

For the first study, researchers from Louisiana State University and colleagues tracked 32 obese, insulin-resistant men and women who were non-diabetic after instructing them either to consume a blueberry smoothie or a non-blueberry smoothie twice daily for six weeks. The researchers found that participants who consumed the blueberry shake became more sensitive to insulin across the study period, which has been linked to a lower diabetes risk. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State University researchers conducting the second study found that consuming two cups of blueberries daily for eight weeks reduced participants' systolic blood pressure by up to eight points.

According to an author of the first study, the findings provide additional evidence that including blueberries in a patient's diet helped limit their risk of diabetes, while the lead author of the second study noted that blueberries also may help pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients regulate their glucose levels (Stull et al., Journal of Nutrition, October 2010 [subscription required]; Basu et al., Journal of Nutrition, September 2010 [subscription required]; Shrieves, "Vital Signs," Orlando Sentinel, 9/20).